South
South is a U.S.-based workforce infrastructure company that helps American businesses find, hire, and pay remote Latin American talent, functioning as an Employer of Record with end-to-end recruiting, vetting, compliance, and payroll services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersAustin, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What South does
South is an Austin, Texas-based workforce infrastructure company founded in 2020 that helps U.S. businesses find, hire, and pay remote Latin American talent. The company operates as an end-to-end talent partner combining a curated sourcing network (120,000+ pre-vetted professionals, top 0.5% acceptance rate) with cross-border Employer of Record infrastructure that handles legal, tax, payroll, and compliance across at least 10 Latin American jurisdictions including Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Uruguay, Peru, and Venezuela. Its core technology is a remote hiring platform that operationalizes recruiting, multi-stage vetting (English assessments, internet-speed tests, behavioral/communication tests, reference checks), and ongoing employment administration for distributed teams.
South monetizes through two pricing models. The Staffing model charges a small monthly fee tied to each employee's salary and covers sourcing, recruiting, admin, payroll, compliance, and ongoing support, with free replacement and no minimum commitments or cancellation fees. The Headhunting model charges a one-time placement fee with a 120-day replacement guarantee. The go-to-market mixes consultative field sales for enterprise, inside sales for mid-market, and self-serve website content (LatAm Salary Guide, Remote Hiring Guide, Latin America Guide, Virtual Assistant Guide, Delegation Course, Delegation Blog, Skills Glossary, Case Studies, Referral Program). The company reports 16-day average time to hire, 30-70% cost savings versus U.S. hires, and 0-2 hour timezone alignment with U.S. clients. Distribution is currently single-country (U.S.) with delivery across Latin America.
Documented scale includes 300+ companies served, 1,000+ professionals placed, and a customer base spanning startups, SMBs, and enterprises. Named case studies include Pass Gallery (10 hires, including a Finance & Data Manager at under $40k/year vs. $180k U.S. equivalent), Prolifiq (3 placements yielding $133,200 in annual savings), Nibble Studio (5-person marketing team with 66% cost reduction), Kentech (13-person sales and marketing team), and Scout Software. February 2026 infrastructure expansion and the addition of Construction and Medical vertical categories indicate active scaling. No funding rounds, M&A activity, or leadership details are disclosed in available sources.
South firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- South
- Legal name
- South
- Website
- https://hireinsouth.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- South is a U.S.-based workforce infrastructure company that helps American businesses find, hire, and pay remote Latin American talent, functioning as an Employer of Record with end-to-end recruiting, vetting, compliance, and payroll services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
South industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cross-Border Recruitment Services
- NAICS
- Employment Placement Agencies (561311), Professional Employer Organizations (561330), Professional Employer Organizations (56133), Payroll Services (541214), Employment Services (5613)
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Global Employer of Record (EOR) Services (BPACAHAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Employer of Record (EOR) & Global Payroll (FSAMAKAB), Onboarding, Offboarding & Employee Lifecycle Administration (BPACAHAL), Recruiting Administration Outsourcing (Recruitment Support, Scheduling, Onboarding Ops) (BPACAKAG), Remote & Global/Multilingual Direct Hire (BPACAFAO), Employee Onboarding & Offboarding Administration (BPAAAIAA)
Keywords
Where South is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Austin
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
South business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Staffing Model (Primary): Monthly fee tied to each employee's salary. Covers sourcing, recruiting, admin, payroll, compliance, ongoing support, and free replacement if necessary. No cancellation fees or minimum commitments. Client pays nothing until they make a hire.
- Headhunting Model: One-time fee charged once the perfect candidate is found. Comes with a 120-day replacement guarantee for risk mitigation.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Professional services/ project-based | Monthly | Staffing Model - Monthly fee per hire covering all services |
| Professional services/ project-based | One-time | Headhunting Model - One-time placement fee |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free Interview Stage |
| Unit Pricing | Monthly | Social Media Manager - U.S. vs LatAm comparison |
| Unit Pricing | Monthly | Paid Media Buyer - U.S. vs LatAm comparison |
| Unit Pricing | Annual | Developer Salaries by Country and Seniority |
| Unit Pricing | Annual | HubSpot Developer Salaries - LatAm |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
South product offering
Product offeringCore offering
South operates a remote hiring platform and Employer of Record (EOR) service that connects U.S. companies with pre-vetted Latin American talent for full-time roles. The company handles end-to-end recruiting, multi-stage vetting, cross-border legal and tax compliance, and global payroll, delivering hires through two distinct service models: an ongoing monthly Staffing Model and a one-time Headhunting Model with a 120-day replacement guarantee.
Product overview
South is a remote hiring platform designed as a full-service talent partner for U.S. companies seeking to build distributed teams in Latin America. The core offering consists of the South Remote Hiring Platform, which operates through two hiring models: the Staffing Model (monthly fee per employee covering end-to-end recruiting, vetting, admin, payroll, compliance, and support with free replacement guarantee) and the Headhunting Model (one-time fee with 120-day replacement guarantee). The platform also includes an Employer of Record (EOR) Service for cross-border employment compliance. Supporting the core platform are resource tools including a LatAm Salary Guide for benchmarking, Remote Hiring Guide and Latin America Guide for educational content, Virtual Assistant Guide for specific role guidance, a Delegation Blog and Delegation Course for management education, a Skills Glossary for talent categorization, Case Studies showcasing outcomes, and a Referral Program. The platform emphasizes full-time embedded hires rather than short-term or project-based engagements.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- South Remote Hiring Platform End-to-end remote hiring platform connecting U.S. companies with pre-vetted Latin American talent for full-time positions. Handles recruiting, multi-stage vetting, cross-border compliance, global payroll, and ongoing support services.
- Staffing Model Ongoing staffing service charging a small monthly fee tied to each employee's salary, covering sourcing, recruiting, admin, payroll, compliance, ongoing support, and free replacement if the hire does not work out. No cancellation fees or minimum commitments.
- Headhunting Model One-time placement service charging a single fee once the candidate is found. Includes upfront vetting, search support, and a 120-day replacement guarantee for risk mitigation.
- Employer of Record (EOR) Service Cross-border employment service handling all legal and compliance aspects of employment across Latin American countries, ensuring adherence to local regulations and eliminating compliance complexity for U.S. employers.
Quantifiable outcome
- 30-70% salary savings compared to U.S. hires
- +7 more outcomes
Companies that use South
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
South technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
South partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- J.P. MorganminorTalent from South's network has prior work experience at J.P. Morgan, demonstrating access to candidates with enterprise-level experience. This is listed as a reference employer rather than an active partnership.
- AmazonminorTalent from South's network has prior work experience at Amazon, demonstrating access to candidates with top tech company backgrounds. Listed as a reference employer.
- McKinsey & CompanyminorTalent from South's network has prior work experience at McKinsey, demonstrating access to candidates with top consulting backgrounds.
- DeloitteminorTalent from South's network has prior work experience at Deloitte, demonstrating access to candidates with Big 4 consulting and accounting backgrounds.
- MicrosoftminorTalent from South's network has prior work experience at Microsoft, demonstrating access to candidates with enterprise software backgrounds.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
South competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Remofirst: Remofirst is a lower-cost global EOR targeting startups and SMBs hiring internationally — a direct value-segment competitor to South's US SMB/mid-market focus.
- Near (near.co): Near is a LatAm-focused talent marketplace connecting US companies with vetted Latin American engineers and operations talent, overlapping South's candidate-vetting and sourcing model.
Direct peers
- Globalization Partners: Globalization Partners is a long-established global EOR focused on enterprise expansion into 180+ countries; it competes with South for mid-market and enterprise US-LatAm hires.
- Remote: Remote.com provides global EOR, payroll, and HRIS for international hiring; it overlaps directly with South on US-to-LatAm hiring and competes on compliance depth and platform UX.
- Velocity Global: Velocity Global offers global EOR, international PEO, and immigration services; it directly competes for US companies hiring Latin American employees via outsourced employment.
- Deel: Deel is the leading global EOR and contractor management platform; it directly competes with South by enabling US companies to hire and pay Latin American (and global) talent compliantly, offering EOR, payroll, and contractor-of-record services.
- Papaya Global: Papaya Global offers global payroll, EOR, and workforce management built on an enterprise SaaS platform; it is comparable to South as a cross-border employment infrastructure provider.
- Oyster HR: Oyster HR is a global EOR and hiring platform targeting US and European employers; it is a direct competitor in the same EOR-for-international-hire category South serves.
- Multiplier: Multiplier provides EOR, payroll, and contractor management for companies hiring internationally; it overlaps with South on US-to-LatAm and broader emerging-market hiring.
Regional players
- Workplaceless: Workplaceless focuses on Latin American remote talent placement and training for US companies; it is comparable in geography and target buyer, though more concentrated in remote-team enablement than full EOR.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
South social profiles
Digital presenceSouth financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
South leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
South funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
South M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about South
What does South do?
South operates a remote hiring platform and Employer of Record (EOR) service that connects U.S. companies with pre-vetted Latin American talent for full-time roles. The company handles end-to-end recruiting, multi-stage vetting, cross-border legal and tax compliance, and global payroll, delivering hires through two distinct service models: an ongoing monthly Staffing Model and a one-time Headhunting Model with a 120-day replacement guarantee.
Is South a public or private company?
South is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was South founded?
South was founded in 2020. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is South based?
South is headquartered in Austin, United States, in the North America region.
How does South make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Staffing Model (Primary) is the primary driver. The others are headhunting Model.
Who are South's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Remofirst and Near (near.co). Direct peers are Globalization Partners, Remote, Velocity Global, Deel, Papaya Global, Oyster HR and Multiplier. Workplaceless is listed as a regional player.
Does South have an API?
No public API is recorded for South.
What industry is South in?
South's product category is Cross-Border Recruitment Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAHAA, Global Employer of Record (EOR) Services, with a secondary code of FSAMAKAB, Employer of Record (EOR) & Global Payroll. Its NAICS code is 561311 and its SIC code is 7361.